Even before the Linux 6.19 version was officially released, the development community was already busy preparing for the next iteration. Maxime Ripard recently submitted the first pull request for the upcoming driver changes intended for the Linux 6.19 successor. While many expect the next version to be Linux 6.20, history suggests it might actually be Linux 7.0. Linus Torvalds often increases the version number significantly after a .19 release, so we might be in for an exciting jump.
This initial batch of updates will be queued in the DRM-Next repository until the next merge window opens in February. These changes focus on improving graphics driver performance and include new features like a buffer object synchronization ioctl (BO_SYNC) for the Panthor and Panfrost Arm Mali drivers.
Furthermore, the updates introduce several useful enhancements:
- New DRM fence helpers to manage dependencies between operations.
- GEM code optimizations to reduce overhead when using Transparent Huge Pages (THP).
- A more informative panic reporting system for driver issues.
- The removal of outdated support for the KDB built-in kernel debugger, as it had been broken for years without any complaints.
The KDB integration ultimately led to maintenance issues and was only supported by a few drivers. This change should simplify the driver architecture and improve overall stability.
For detailed information on these changes, you can check out this pull request.
As we look ahead, the ongoing evolution of the Linux kernel continues to emphasize performance and efficiency, ensuring it remains a cornerstone of open-source software. With every new version, developers enhance usability and meet the growing demands of the tech landscape.
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